Forms of scientific communication


  • Peer-reviewed journal article
    • Gold standard
    • Has been carefully reviewed by other scientists


  • Oral presentation at a conference
    • May contain published and/or unpublished results
    • Presented to an expert audience w/ questions


  • Poster presentation at a conference
    • Informal presentation
    • Visually appealing
    • Usually contains unpublished results


  • Modern sci-comm is changing!
    • blogs, podcasts, tweets, etc

Poster sessions at conferences



  • A major part of many conferences is the poster session


  • During a poster session, the author of the poster stands at their poster and informally presents it to interested passersby


  • The presenter walks the person through their research project and latest results, answering questions and hearing criticisms from other scientists


  • Posters are all about connecting with other scientists: LOTS of science happens this way

Always remember your goal as a communicator




  • As a part of the capstone project, you will create a scientific poster and present it to the class


  • Like any form of scientific communication, the goal of your poster presentation is to present information to your audience as effectively as possible



  • Keep in mind the THREE Cs and K.I.S.S



  • Poster organization and design is less rigid than a paper
    • chance to inject some creativity and personality into scientific communication

Major considerations for a poster



Follow size, layout, and materials specifications


Consider your audience and objectives


Use a clean organization and layout


Large, readable design


Minimize text, maximize figures


The presentation: prepare for discussion and questions

General poster prep and rules for conferneces



  • Posters should be readable by viewers 3-5 feet away.
    • Use large print and block letters when possible


  • Poster dimensions are 36” high by 48” wide
    • minimum font size of 28 point
    • maximum of 600 words


  • Additional requirements:
    • headline strip that runs the full width of the poster
    • title, authors, & affiliations on the strip
    • abstract in the upper left-hand corner (if required)
    • include a contact email address
    • head shot now common (you are not always present)

Consider your audience and objectives



  • Your audience depends on the venue where you are presenting your poster:
    • Expert scientists in your field
    • Scientists in different fields
    • Peers or other students
    • Non-scientists


  • In general, it is best to assume that your audience has no expert knowledge


  • Consider whether your poster needs to be geared toward any specific communication objective
    • original research poster
    • narrative review

Parts of a scientific poster


  • Posters generally have these elements:
    • Good, informative Title
    • Introduction / Background: contains the information necessary to understand the research question.
      • May contain a statement of your problem/hypothesis
    • a brief methods section
    • Data and results: as visual as possible
    • Discussion or Conclusions: summarizes only the main points


  • Optional elements:
    • Brief references section
    • Acknowledgments
    • Abstract: conferences require you to submit an abstract ahead of time

Pro Tips: Poster Design



  • Minimize blocks of text
  • Maximize use of figures
  • Color-blind friendly palate
  • Pay attention to trends


  • Uncluttered, clean layout = good use of white space
    • simplicity is best: resist the urge to include everything (you can always say more)
    • maintain balance: visual elements should cover slightly more than 50% of the poster area
    • if you have only a few figures, make them large.
    • arrange into columns so eye movement over the poster is natural
    • Use fonts large enough for easy readability

Classic poster template


#betterposter Trend (Mike Morrison)


#betterposter Example


How do you actually make a poster?


  • Use Powerpoint and treat the poster area as one large “slide”
    • Design → Slide Size → Custom Slide Size


  • For the capstone poster, use 36” x 48” dimensions in either landscape or portrait format


  • Premade Powerpoint templates are available online
    • Google ‘scientific poster template’ and profit!

The capstone poster assignment



  • You will create a scientific poster that will be presented to the class. This part of the capstone consists of:
    • A rough draft of your poster
    • Written review and workshop discussion of a classmate’s poster
    • A final draft of the poster
    • The poster presentation near the end of the semester


  • Key features to be evaluated are:
    • Quality and production of the poster: clarity, layout, and scientific content
    • Demonstration of a clear understanding of the research/topic
    • Ability to explain research topic beyond scope of the poster
    • Ability to answer questions and discuss the work with others


  • A full rubric will be provided as the poster draws near